What Goes Around Comes Around
by Colatiel
Summary: An interaction with a rather annoying demon leaves Infinite vengeful, and it definitely shows once he takes over. This story takes place both before and during Eggman's hostile takeover with Infinite. This story contains OC and Infinite interaction!
1. Chapter 1

The night was still and the air hung heavy and cold. Down within the crevices of a dusty canyon laid the jackal squad, all curled up and resting atop one another for both warmth and comfort. All of the jackals slept peacefully, all except one. Their leader. He laid there, eyes wide as he was afraid to slip back into slumber. Night after night for the past week he had this reoccuring nightmare. A black and red hedgehog would kick him to the dirt and proceeded to stomp on him, all the while he hissed out insults. The leader jackal remembered each one clearly.

"You're a worthless little rat." He would spit out as he yanked on his tail. "Not even worth killing."

The dreams all ended the same. If the hedgehog was met with any sort of resistance, he would stomp directly on his face, ending the dream. The jackal could've sworn he woke up with a bloody nose once.

Tonight was no different though. He laid there, awake and anxious. Any motion from his teammates startled him, and any noise he heard made him tense. Hell, most of the noises he heard were just figments of his imagination. Except, tonight _was_ different.

Particularly heavy footsteps resounded within the canyon. The jackal boss blinked blearily, not even able to comprehend that these footsteps weren't just a trick of his mind. It wasn't until they sounded awfully close to the entrance of the hide out that he drew his bright red sword from it's sheath.

The steps stopped right in front of the exit, and there was a thick moment of silence. The jackal slowly slipped out from under his pack mates, standing amongst their sleeping forms. It was then that a figure slowly eased forward. He couldn't make anything out, but he did make eye contact with it. He could tell because it's bright red eye was staring at him.

He recognized the color and froze on the spot as his blood ran cold. This must've been the hedgehog that he saw in his dreams. He was finally here to kill him. He didn't waste another moment, and with a shout he charged forward. He startled his teammates awake with his shout, but he didn't stick around to apologize.

He ran out of the hide out, sword in hand and eyes searching for the figure. He saw the red eye slowly sink into the shadows, almost backing off from him. Perfect. With another shout he gave chase, sword gripped tightly within his hand as he ran. The figure noticably jumped and ran away from this sword wielding maniac. It seemed to be headed towards the safety of the top of the canyons. The jackal wouldn't allow it to escape.

He stayed hot on it's tail, following it up various inclines and rock pathways towards the surface. Once moonlight hit, he saw the figure a bit more closely… Sort of. It was difficult to see who this was, but it was certainly not a black hedgehog. In fact, he couldn't even tell if it was a hedgehog. There was a large sheet that draped over the figure, obscuring everything about them except their running legs. Regardless, he still swung his sword at its retreating back.

"Come back here you little cretin!" He ordered, but of course his order fell upon deaf ears. Once they began to tread along the tops of the canyon, the figure turned around.

It was then that the jackal realized that he had been chasing after the wrong hedgehog. This hedgehog may have had a red eye, but it was nothing like the one in his dreams. His running slowed, and he fell into a stagger. The hedgehog mimicked the motion and stood a good distance away from him. Both stood there, panting and locked in an intense stare down. The jackal pointed his sword at them.

"What on earth are you doing here?!" He called out. The hedgehog raised their hands up defensively.

"I was just on an evening stroll!" She responded. They both shared another tense moment of silence.

"Leave anything of value you may have and perhaps I'll let you live." He snapped. The hedgehog scoffed and lowered her hands.

"I don't have any treasures on me. Any sane person wouldn't carry anything valuable at this hour!"

"Yeah right, what's in your pockets?" He demanded to know. The hedgehog reached down and tugged up her sweater, showing off the lack of pockets. And, well, pants.

"Absolutely nothing." She snipped. The jackal snarled and stepped closer. He kept his sword at his side, surveying the young girl.

"Then you're useless to me. I should kill you where you stand." He pressed the sword up to where her throat was. The hedgehog didn't even flinch. She leveled a stare at him and raised a hand up to gently grasp his wrist.

"Do you think a kiss is valuable?" They shared yet another moment of silence. The jackal looked her over from head to toe. She was a pretty little number, but he still felt uneasy around her. He hated this sensation of wariness.

"It has no monetary value, so therefore it isn't."

"Oh come on, it's a sweet little peck from a mysterious girl under the moonlight! Any rational man wouldn't want to pass this up!"

"I don't want to lose my lips." He snarled. The hedgehog seemed to pout as she leaned closer. The jackal didn't budge and allowed the hedgehog to press her nose against his.

"You just have to take a chance. Life is full of surprises. Who knows, maybe you'll like it."

"Tell me your name first." The jackal ordered.

"Susie." She retorted without a second to waste. The jackal turned his head away, admittedly nervous about this strange girl and her odd offer.

"I'll let you off the hook just this once." He stepped back. "Next time you step through these canyons, there will be a fine. Failure to pay up will result in a very slow and painful death."

"What if I pass through here while you're gone?" She sung and tucked her arms behind her back. The jackal sneered and pointed his sword up, pressing the tip under her chin.

"Then I'll hunt you down and murder you." He threatened as he leaned in and pressed their noses together. The hedgehog snickered softly, holding the stance for a while. It was then that she ducked down and pressed a smooch to his lips.

The jackal sputtered and staggered back, startled that she'd steal a kiss. That girl- how rude!… It was then that the jackal felt a wave of fatigue hit him. He held a hand up to his head, dismissing the sensation as sleep deprivation. That is, until he saw the devilish glint in the girl's eye. Something was _wrong_.

He drew his sword and pointed it at her, but it didn't deter her from drawing near. The closer she got, the weaker he felt. He stepped back, staggering as his hand shook.

"W-What did you do to me?!" He snapped, scared as to why he was reacting this way. The girl- Susie grabbed the hand that held the sword. He immediately dropped it at her touch. "What did you do?!" He was shrieking now. She laughed softly and pulled him closer.

"You're falling under the succubus' kiss." She gently ran her thumb against his cheek. He melted within her palm, his eyes locked with hers. He grit his teeth and tried to pull away, but found he was stuck fast.

"You monster." He hissed out. Susie leaned down to press another smooch to his lips. His heart fluttered painfully and his stomach filled with butterflies that made him sick. He tried to bring his hands up to strangle her, but they fell short and rested against her shoulders.

"Thank you!" She chirped and tucked one of the strands of white fluff back behind his ear. "You have wonderful eyes."

"So do you." He slurred, feeling his consciousness slipping away. She pressed her forehead against his, smiling at the results of her ever effective smooches. Though, she pulled away and stepped back when she heard the bustling footsteps coming up the side of the canyon.

Within a few moments, a cluster of jackals gathered up at the top of the canyon, all of their weapons drawn in case they needed to kick some ass.

"Boss!" One called out to the heterochromic jackal. He didn't respond, nor did he even look at them. He stared at the hedgehog, then started to shuffle closer. She grinned toothily and wrapped her arm around his shoulders once he got close enough. The other jackals gasped; they had never seen their boss so… Out of it!

"Well would you look at that! Someone has taken a liking to me!" She mocked.

"What did you do to him?!" Another jackal snapped as he adjusted his barret. The hedgehog shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't do anything! I just walked by, he gave chase, and we wound up here!" She lied through her sharp teeth. The other jackals didn't buy it for one moment, but they didn't have the heart to charge with their boss in the way.

"She's fine." The lead jackal called as he slowly cuddled up to her, nestling his muzzle against her shoulder. The other jackals were taken aback by the statement. "Treat her as one of your own!"

Each pack mate stared at one another, confused as to why he would let in a complete stranger. Though, they didn't fight his words. Susie snickered softly and started to walk towards the group of mutts, watching as they all chattered and scattered.

"Let's go get some rest. I'm sure your little boss will have errands in the morning." She ordered. Though, the lead jackal took her hand and stepped forward, intending on leading her down by himself. She was surprised by the feat, as many under her spell weren't even able to stand on their own. This one had a lot of will.

Stone after stone the group of jackals all descended down the canyon. They then marched right back into their little hide out. The lead jackal sat the hedgehog down, then made quick work of using her as a pillow. She didn't object and watched the other jackals lie down, one by one, into their sleeping pile. She sighed softly and rested a hand against the jackal's head. Though, she noticed he wasn't nestling down to sleep like the others.

"Well? Aren't you going to get your rest?"

"How can I rest when you're here." He mumbled and grasped a bit of her hair to gently twirl around his finger. She snorted and shook her head, but she too didn't sleep.

Throughout the night the two looked at one another, gently touching each other's cheeks and hair, mumbling compliments and stealing kisses. You know, the works. However the thing that stood out to the hedgehog was how he wasn't slipping into a love struck daze. He was still fully conscious and able to make words; he wasn't throwing himself at her and smothering her like her usual victims did. He was a strong one.

When day eventually broke, the sun rose slowly. A bit of the sun's warmth hit the tip of the tail of one of the other jackals, and after some time he sat up and yawned. The jackal that laid against his chest also sat up and yawned, and shortly after another two jackals did the same. It was a domino effect, and the hedgehog couldn't help but laugh.

"That is adorable!" She called, startling the group. They had forgotten she was even there for a bit. Plus, no one is ever _that_ awake in the morning. "Absolutely precious. It's hard to believe you guys are even thieves." She purred. The other jackals took great offense to that. Their leader slowly stood up and grabbed at the empty sheath. He looked down, not sure where his sword went. It was then that one of the jackals approached him and handed it over. He leaned in to whisper some words to his boss before stepping back. The leader nodded and pointed his sword forward.

"To find our riches for the day!" He bellowed. The other jackals all leapt up and sprinted out of the hide out, yelping and yipping all the way through the canyon. The leader gripped hard onto the hedgehog's wrist and charged forward.

This wasn't right.

This wasn't right by any means.

Her kisses were meant to incapacitate any being. Why the hell wasn't it properly working on him?!

The various jackals all ran through the canyon, and one by one they exited out into the dusty desert. It seemed that these guys had a set destination to go to that this girl didn't quite know about. Though, she continued on. What's the worst that could happen?

They ran for what felt like miles before they came across this tiny little desert village of what looked like coyotes. The inhabitants all screamed as the jackal squad descended upon them. They looted every house, snatched purses, and even tore the necklaces off of some of the men and women there. Their leader however didn't take part. He stood there, holding onto the hedgehog's wrist.

She tried to tug away, but each tug was met with the tightening of his hand. He turned slowly, his face curled into a sneer. It seemed like he was snapping out of the daze.

She knew it. This really wasn't right. He was far too strong to fall for her antics.

She leaned in and gently pressed her lips to his, effectively soothing him. His grip loosened enough for her to slip her hand away. She tugged back her glove and eyed up the leader.

"You have such beautiful quills in the sunlight." He mumbled. Those words sounded pained. She brushed her hair back and reached out for his hand.

"Let's go get you some water." She then began to tug him towards the village's crops. Near by there was a small well that dug down into an underground stream. The bucket was down within the well, sloshing around and full of water. She released the jackal's hand and gripped onto the rope. Though, it wasn't long until he wrapped his arms around her waist. She couldn't help but tense, knowing that he was one of the few that was capable of snapping out of the lovey haze. She grunted with each tug until she eventually pulled the bucket up onto the rim of the well. She hoisted it up and set it down onto the floor.

"Step back." She ordered, and the jackal quickly did so. She stood at one end of the bucket, chewing over her thoughts. That sword looked mighty dangerous, and he was a fast one too. She squinted down at her reflection in the bucket. In a flash, she dipped both of her hands into the bucket, cupped them, and splashed water onto the jackal.

He staggered back and shielded his face with an arm, practically dripping wet. There was a tense moment of silence between both of them, spare the white noise of the other jackals wreaking havoc within the village. The lead jackal slowly pulled his arm down and snarled at the hedgehog. She grinned in response and slowly stepped back.

"You little slut!" He called out and charged. He waved his sword about wildly as he ran after the hedgehog's retreating form. She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. That was always the best part!

"I'll kill you where you stand! I'll slaughter you like the whore you are!" He shouted after her. Once he saw he was gaining on her, he swung his sword down at her back.

Though, he missed, and alerted the girl to how close he was. Her wings stretched outward and with a few harsh flaps she was up in the air. Dust surrounded both the jackal and the hedgehog, and from the safety of the sky she looked down at him. Luckily for her, he was awe struck.

"Oooh come on, you loved every single moment of it!" She sung. She continued to flap higher and higher.

The other jackals all stopped their tirade to join their boss, and each of them laid their eyes on the flying hedgehog.

"A harpy?" One questioned.

"No no, she's a bat!"

"More like a vulture." One sneered.

"She's a demon!" The leader snarled out. Susie laughed out and pointed at the heterochromic jackal.

"He's right! Bingo was his name-o! What a good boy!" She cooed.

"You slut! You harlot! Come down here and fight you coward!" He ordered, but her wings didn't stop flapping.

"Why should I? I kinda want to live you know!" She sung.

"Why do you think you should live?! You're nothing but a lowly little whore who gets around by sleeping with others!"

"Not true! I just wanted to see if my magic would work on you!"

"Why?! Too much of a weakling to work your way up the ranks, or too cowardly to actually fight for your goods?!"

"Nope! I just wanted to see your reaction! Your face is priceless!"

With a snarl, the jackal crouched and leaped up. He swung his sword at her stomach and managed to knick her across said stomach, tearing through her sweater in the process. She yelled and fluttered back, hand over the superficial wound.

"Don't you dare show your face around these parts ever again! I'll slit your throat!" He shouted as he pointed his sword at her. She sneered at him and took to the skies. He was a fiesty little guy! She liked his spunk, but not when it actually hurt her!

The jackal on the other hand snarled at her distancing form. He eventually shouted out and tossed his sword down onto the floor. He yelled out curses and cusses, stomped his feet, and finally screamed. The village went dead silent, and so did the rest of his team.

One brave little soul stepped forward and gently placed a hand onto his shoulder. He tensed and glowered back at them.

"Are you alright boss?" He said firmly. The lead jackal let out a sigh and relaxed. He placed a hand to his own forehead and rubbed.

"I'm going to kill that girl when I get a chance, just you wait." He swore under his breath. The other jackal member leaned in and gently lapped at his cheek.

"Let's clean this place out, maybe it'll get you in better spirits!" He said, oozing hope. The leader smirked and snatched his sword back up, and the squad returned to ransacking the village.

 **3 MONTHS LATER**

The sun was just beginning to set, and a certain someone was surveying the city. There was talk of a masked assailant that was striking fear into cities around the world. Word had arrived by mouth that said attacker was somewhere within a nearby city, so she had to go check it out.

After flying for some distance, she landed onto the top of an apartment. Pieces of rubble were strewn about, the sounds of screaming citizens could be heard for miles, and the figures of adults and children alike could be seen running for cover. It was a strange sight indeed.

She hopped down from her perch into the center of the city and snatched up the arm of a young blond hedgehog, similar to herself. When the child stared up at her with fear filled eyes, she loosened her grip.

"What's going on?" She asked the child. It was then that a shadow covered both hedgehogs. The child broke eye contact and looked up at the source of the shadow, then pointed a shakey hand up at it. Susie followed the direction she pointed in and saw him.

"My my my, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" The being purred, then adjusted his mask ever so slightly.

The younger hedgehog pulled away from the demon and booked it towards the safety of a building. Susie turned her head and tried to call out to them, but turned back when the villain in this situation appeared right beside her. She winced and stepped away from the creature.

"Who the hell are you?" She spat.

"You may call me Infinite." He placed a hand over the front of his mask. The hedgehog squinted slightly.

"I swear I've heard that voice before but… God I can't put a name to it." She tucked a claw under her chin as she thought. She gave him a look over, then recognized the stripes along his sides. "You're the little jackal boy I kissed!" She chirped. In an instant Infinite had his hand wrapped around her throat. She gasped out in shock before her windpipe was forcibly closed.

"Your memory serves you well. I hope you remember the vow I made about the next time I saw you." She reached up to try and claw his hands away, but it was no use. She was stuck fast. Infinite stared at her struggling form for quite some time. He found plenty of entertainment within her panicked flailing, but knew that he wouldn't feel too fufilled if he ended it now. He released her throat and wound his fingers within her hair, allowing her to gasp out for air.

"Though, I realize now that I'm not being true to my vow." He tilted her head back and ran a claw along the front of her throat. "I did say after all that I wanted to slit your throat. It'd be a crime to not follow my threat to a T." He watched her face, taking great joy in her fear. He chuckled lowly and pressed the point of his mask to the side of her head. "Your fear smells delicious."

She reached forward and shoved at him, staggering back in fear. He released her rather easily, content with playing with his food.

Susie held a hand to her throat before shouting out a "I didn't think you were being serious!" A nervous chuckle fluttered out of her. It was obvious that her bravado was somewhat wounded given his speed, but she still stuck through it. Infinite laughed at her response before leaning back.

"I was intending on following through with it, but I found that you're much more entertaining than the citizens fleeing." He tucked a hand behind his back and bowed. "For that, I'll give you a sample as to what I'm capable of."

She snorted, some of her bravado returning at the thought of a fight. She took up a defensive stance, calling out a "I'll take whatever you've got and return it ten-fold!"

It was then that everything went red and fuzzy. She staggered back with a yell as her surroundings seemed to vibrate and glitch. Then everything seemed to go back to normal. Infinite was still bowed, the city was still burning, and people were still screaming. She didn't know what occurred.

Infinite then stood and stepped closer towards her. She didn't budge, not even when he gently took her hand which was completely at odds with the threats he made. He pressed the bottom of his mask to the back of her hand, imitating a kiss.

"You have such beautiful quills in the sunlight." He commented as he looked up at her. She smiled and ducked her head slightly.

"Aw shucks, thank you! I-" She paused before squinting at him. "Heeey, what are you planning? You're buttering me up!"

"I'm not planning anything. I just want you to see the real me." He gripped the edge of his mask. "The me that loves you very dearly." Her brows raised as she watched him slowly tilt his mask up. Perhaps he had a change of heart?

No he didn't.

Her blood ran cold and her heart almost stopped at the horrific scene before her. Infinite had no face. He had no muzzle, no eyes, nothing. He did however have a gaping maw that was full of serrated teeth. He let his mask clang painfully onto the asphalt. Drool seemed to slip down the open mouth, and a low hiss could be heard.

Susie stepped back, terrified of this shape shifting beast. Once she was at a good enough distance, Infinite ran right after her. She shrieked and ran away from him. She booked it up a nearby road, fearing for her own life. The screams of the citizens all seemed to disappear and her ears rung with Infinite's heavy breathing.

She looked over her shoulder to see if Infinite was still behind her. Surely enough he was, and he was gaining on her. She screamed again and tried to run faster. She turned the corner and ran for as far as she could. When she looked over her shoulder again, he was gone. She slowed down and turned, eying up the corner, expecting his disgusting form to come staggering around it. When Infinite didn't show up, Susie looked at her surroundings. She noticed a small bakery with a nice glass view inside and there were people inside, acting like nothing was wrong. She ran up to it and tried the door. The door was locked, so she ran to the glass and began banging on it.

"Hello?! For fucks sake, open up!" She shrieked, but no one paid her any mind. This went on for a while, until she saw her reflection. Behind her she saw Infinite's gaping wide maw. Her heart sunk, but she wasn't ready to turn around. Instead she curled her hand up into a fist and swung at Infinite, decking him in the side of the head. He grunted in pain and staggered back, allowing her to run off.

She continued up the road, running despite the burning sensation in her legs. Why didn't those people react?! Why was everything so quiet?! Where the FUCK was Infinite's face?! Thoughts of that nature floated through her head so quickly that she didn't even realize where she was headed. She was tuned out, trying to find her own answers that she didn't notice the child she had stopped earlier up ahead.

When the child waved to her, she snapped out of her thinking daze. She gazed up at them and smiled, then ran for them. Oh they were such a wonderful sight! She was just so happy that she could just cry-

Just as she ran past an alley, an arm reached out and snatched one of her wrists. Due to her speed, and the angle that the grab came from, her arm was properly popped out of it's socket. It was a disgusting noise that would have shaken anyone near by. It even shook her. The hand released her arm and she collasped and rolled down onto the floor due to her momentum, not even able to process what happened.

After a deafening moment of silence, a blood curdling scream left her lips as tears welled up in her eyes. The pain was excruciating, it felt like someone had poured molten lava into the socket where her arm should've been. She eased up onto her knees and surveyed the damage. Her arm was torn out of it's socket and twisted in a way that she thought wasn't possible. It was useless to her now.

She then heard footsteps behind her, and when she turned she saw Infinite's disgusting mouth once more. She shrieked and fell back. She dug her heels into the asphalt and dragged herself away from Infinite's slowly approaching form.

Yet, he was far too fast, even at his staggering pace. It didn't take long for him to loom over her and toss his weight onto her, effectively pinning her to the ground. He pressed the heels of his palms to both shoulders, further pinning her down. She shrieked out in pain when she felt him squeeze the shoulder that lacked an arm within it's socket.

More and more tears trailed down her cheeks as she struggled against him. The tears blinded her enough for her to not notice the glitching of Infinite's face. Soon enough, the mask covered the maw behind it, and he brought a hand up to gingerly cup her chin.

"Your fear is absolutely delicious." He purred, then began stroking the side of her head. Her wails calmed and was replaced with a rather violent and persistent shudder.

"W-Why?" She hissed out, her voice cracking as she struggled not to cry out again.

"I just wanted to see your reaction. Your face is priceless." He purred and leaned down to press the point of his mask into her cheek.

She sobbed pitifully as she turned her head away from him. Her eyes began to survey the area around them, and she found that they ended up just as where they started. Yet, when she tried to move her twisted arm, it was still busted up. That- That didn't make any sense! She didn't run in a circle! How was this-

"I hope this teaches you to not mess with anyone elses' minds." He spoke suddenly, then gently pressed a finger to her lips. "You may never know who will mess with yours if you do."

She was at a loss for words. She laid there, shivering like it was the coldest winter she had ever experienced in her short life. Infinite slowly raised himself up and off of her, but wasn't quite done with her.

He leaned down and, with a bit of force, used his claws to trim a few strands of hair off of her head. He took the long strands and wrapped them around one of his fingers. She watched this, absolutely confused as to why he'd do that.

"I believe I found something of value from you after all. Your quills truly are beautiful in the sunlight, especially during sunset." He laughed rather darkly as he turned and walked off, leaving her to lay there with a broken arm and shattered courage.

Poor little Susie.


	2. Chapter 2

The third day of Eggman's plan had finally arrived, and it was quite the spectacular. The evil being known as Infinite had conjured up a Sun, threatened the entirety of Mobius with it's fall, and was quickly defeated by a certain blue hedgehog and his red mutt of a cohort. Everything seemed to crumble around them as Infinite staggered back. His very existence seemed to flicker in and out as he snarled lowly to himself.

"I can still fight!" He shouted before zipping away towards the top of a building within the futuristic city, however after that, Infinite wasn't seen again.

The masked jackal clutched the building's lightning rod tightly as he struggled to keep himself upright. His vision swam with red as the Phantom Ruby finally revolted against him. He glanced over at his hand and watched as it blinked between different states of opaqueness. It was something that Eggman hadn't even considered despite the Ruby's powers; Infinite's being was being torn between both the world of illusions and reality.

Infinite clutched his mask tightly as he was overcome with a wave of fatigue and nausea. His world seemed to spin as it glitched and crumbled before his very own eye. His grip on the lightning rod loosened, and he collapsed onto his knees. The sounds around him eventually faded out and were replaced by a high-pitched ringing in his ears. From there he flopped over onto his stomach and watched as the world continued to twist and warp in front of him before everything turned black.

Then he woke up.

The jackal woke up with a start within a white hospital room. He didn't get too far though; his wrists were handcuffed to the bars of the medical bed, preventing him from leaning too far forward. His eyes glanced around the room wildly, trying to parse what even was going on. The last thing he was experiencing was his own death, now he was sitting within some stiff, stark white bed.

His ears swiveled and twitched as he heard the monitor's beeping speed up to match the rhythm of his heart beat. He breathed in and out roughly, turning to look at the monitor that seemed to match him pulse for pulse He gave one of his large ears a flick as he leaned back against the pillow he was given to support his neck. The monitor's beeps slowed down as his breathing lagged, signifying his own relaxation. It seems that the freedom crew had some sort of sympathy for this big bad villain.

His eye began to wander down his body, and he clocked the bandages wrapped over his chest. His chest lacked the obvious shard of the Phantom Ruby, and upon realization of it's disappearance, Infinite felt much weaker compared to when he was in possession of the accursed jewel. At least, that's what he thought.

Just as he was about to dig his grave with his pessimistic thoughts about himself and his weakness, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Infinite's intention was immediately pulled to the doorway, and his eyes locked onto it as he waited to see who exactly was walking down those halls.

A black and red hedgehog stepped through the door way, his own eyes looking over the bandaged jackal.

"I see you've woken up." He said simply, breaking the odd silence between the two. Infinite was livid.

The monitor began to beep, matching Infinite's increasing heartbeat, and warning any nearby doctors that his blood pressure was through the roof.

"You… You filthy cur! You lowly little–"

"I'm sorry." Shadow said simply as he took a seat beside Infinite's bed. Infinite stared at him in shock. "I shouldn't have said what I said during our fight. I shouldn't have called you weak. It was wrong of me to say that." He said, sounding solemn as his eyes met with Infinite's. Shadow had to swallow his pride before he could say that; after all of the fights and the bad blood, it was difficult to force some sympathy for the jackal. Though, he did it.

Infinite's monitor began to slow it's frantic beeping, and Infinite laid back in his bed. He was in awe that Shadow apologized. For some odd reason, it made him feel better inside. Better about himself, better about his strength- it made him feel good inside.

"Took you long enough." Infinite mumbled as he broke eye contact to stare out the window. Shadow visibly recoiled at that, but bit back any insults he may have had. Sonic had told him to be gentle with this one, and by god he was going to be gentle if it meant no more wild adventures with a near unbeatable being.

"I know I took too long, the apology was over due." When Infinite didn't look back at him, Shadow continued. "But this was the least I could do." That certainly got Infinite's attention. He turned around with wide eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I meant I could've just left you to phase out of existence, but I didn't." Admittedly, it was a collective effort of soldiers, Tails, and a bit of Shadow to help Infinite into the hospital, but he was just going to take credit for this. Hey, not like it would really matter later on!

"You were the one who saved me?" He hissed out. When Shadow nodded, the monitor began to beep frantically once more. "Why didn't you just leave me to die?! You already destroyed the jackal squad, why not just off me as well?!"

"Because it was an accident! I didn't mean to kill them!"

"Then what happened?! Why did you leave them to die and yet turn around and save me?!" He hollered, definitely waking up any other patients in the hospital.

"The factory collapsed and there was nothing I could do." Shadow admitted, eyes darting to the monitor then back at Infinite. "Everything was burning, it was impossible for me to get them out of the wreckage."

Infinite laid back in his bed, eyes focused on the ceiling as he chewed over his words. "The squad was practically family to me. They were the only jackals I knew and trusted. And now they're gone." He sighed as the monitor slowed its beeping.

"I'm sorry." Shadow rumbled out, eyes downcast as he prepared to face backlash for his next sentence. "As much as it pains me to say this, you need to move on."

Infinite stared at him, wild eyed at the absolute blunt nature of that phrase, but Shadow held a hand up before he could start howling.

"The jackal squad isn't coming back. They're dead. It's up to you to move on from this and start anew, to turn over a new leaf."

"Oh, and it's so easy to do that now is it? To get over the deaths of multiple loved ones? To just move on and not even honor their deaths? They died fighting valiantly and they don't even have a grave to any of their names!" Infinite snarled out, his nose wrinkling as he bared his teeth. Shadow sat back, enduring the entire verbal onslaught. "Do you know what it is to die with nothing to your name?! To have all your achievements just… forgotten?! Do you even know what it's _like_ to be forgotten?!" Infinite's voice cracked at the last sentence.

"I did my damn best to try and give those jackals a presence- to give them a name. I wanted people to quake with fear when they heard of the jackal squad!" Tears seemed to well up in Infinite's eyes as he looked down into his lap. He ducked his head down and brought his voice down to a near mumble. "But I failed them. I failed them and now they're nothing. I'm sure you don't even recall what they looked like."

Shadow blinked, trying to process just exactly what Infinite said. It made clear sense, but he didn't expect something like this from someone who once was terrorizing other mobians with impending doom.

"I remember seeing one with bandages at his wrists and a female in a tank top." Shadow said, trying to indirectly dispute Infinite's point.

"Roscoe and Jagger." Infinite replied, putting names to the jackals in Shadow's memories.

"I also recall quite a stubborn soul. Aggressive in nature and attacks. And another slippery little rat."

"Ranger and Cooper."

"And one last one comes to mind. One with a scar along his snout."

Tears fell down Infinite's cheeks as he looked back up at Shadow. "B-Bandit. His name was Bandit. The pup was like a son to me."

Shadow couldn't even bear to look at Infinite straight in the face anymore. In this rare occasion, he felt guilt for what he did. Shadow always struggled trying to feel empathy for others, but he managed to connect somewhat with Infinite. He sucked in a long breath and held a hand out towards Infinite's face.

"May I?" He inquired. Infinite took a few sniffs of his hand before slowly nodding, giving him the okay. Shadow then stood and stepped forward, then he gently rubbed his palm along the back of his ear.

"What are you doing." Infinite snapped, but he lacked any sort of venom in his words.

"I'm trying to comfort you. Is it too overbearing?" He stopped the rubs out of fear of ruining this budding relationship, but he found Infinite pressing closer.

"No." He sniffled. Deep down Infinite was truly craving some sort of comfort, and he wasn't about to squander the one chance he had.

With that Shadow continued. "I know what it's like to lose a loved one." Shadow admitted, which got Infinite's attention. "At first I was upset. I was distraught. I wanted to destroy everyone and everything within my path, but I stopped myself once I realized that what I was doing was against her wishes."

"Who's 'her'?"

"Maria. She was also like family to me but she died long ago. Time has made the pain numb, but the point I'm trying to make is that you can still carry on the jackal squad's legacy."

"And how on Earth am I supposed to do that? I'm certain you won't allow me to return to my life of raiding." Infinite's tears had long ebbed, and he looked up at Shadow. From there he realized he unconsciously pressed himself up against his chest. It was embarrassing, but it was just too comforting to really pull away.

"Of course not. However, I've been granted permission to take you under my wing. We'd like to have you as one of the freedom fighters." He felt Infinite tense up at that.

"Are… Are you sane? I nearly destroyed this planet, I don't think it would be wise-"

"Nonsense. Everyone deserves a second chance. I was once like you, you know." When Infinite didn't seem too swayed, Shadow persisted. "It's not too different from raiding. The only difference is that you'd be hauling in criminals instead of bounty. With proper mentoring and training, you'll come to love it."

That had Infinite interested, though he had a few more pressing matters to ask about. "What about pay?" That brought a chuckle out of Shadow.

"It's a thankless job, however you'll have free room and board for as long as you work." That got Infinite's 'yes' immediately, but he still tried to make it look like he was thinking it over. After a few moments of silence, he barked out a "I'll do it."

The months following this exchange were tedious but bountiful. Infinite was shaping up to be a model citizen.

The first month was dedicated to rehabilitation and examination. They had to make sure Infinite was physically and mentally healthy for him to take on this job; it wasn't going to be easy, and the last thing anyone needed was him keeling over dead thanks to the remnants of the Phantom Ruby. Though, apart from some partially shaved chest fluff, Infinite was perfectly fine. Once he was given the clear in all regards, they moved on to training.

Shadow tugged Infinite around the Metropolis, made different rounds, told him all about the short cuts between the alleys, and repeated this with every city. This took two months tops for Infinite to have enough muscle memory to be able to run and catch criminals. He was a hardened mercenary, and even he knew the importance of knowing the lay of the land. Shadow was impressed by this tough pup, but like hell would he show it. He had a stoic reputation to uphold, after all!

Though, Shadow had a point. Infinite was slowly coming to love this new job. The rush of giving chase and leaping through the concrete jungle was just exhilarating! Feeling the wind rush through his hair, his heart pumping as he worked to run along, the rough tackling he'd give Shadow once he caught up during their training sessions. All of it had him loving this job. In fact, he adored the action so much that he even howled during one of his runs down the city. It was all so perfect.

6 months had passed, and Infinite was finally ready to enter the work field. Though, before Shadow could give him his first mission, he tugged him along towards the outskirts of the city, where extensive fields swayed and flowed with the blowing wind. It was silent here, spare for the occasional song played by the wind.

Shadow pulled Infinite up towards a set of intricately designed graves that were erected, and each of them read a different name. Bandit, Jagger, Roscoe, Cooper, Ranger, all in that order. Infinite let out a heavy sigh as Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It took us a while to settle on a proper resting place, but we finally decided on it being here. They deserve to be remembered."

Infinite stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Shadow, embracing him as tightly as he could. He let out a sigh and murmured a "Thank you".

After a moment of silence out of honor, Shadow gave Infinite a pat on the back before slipping him a folder containing Infinite's first mission. He then handed him a pair of handcuffs and a few straps.

"This will be your first ever raid where you have to bring back a criminal. Sadly, this criminal is no where near the city. Though, I'm sure you'd love the challenge." Shadow flashed a rare smirk as he turned and started on his trek back to the city. "Just keep going straight from here and you'll find the house. Good luck." And with that, he was off.

Infinite almost stopped him to ask about the straps, but he paused and decided to peek at the folder's contents before chasing him down. When he pulled up the photo of his objective, he understood immediately.

It was _her_.

Now the straps made some sense. With a confident puff of his chest, Infinite started up the field. He was gonna pay an old _friend_ a visit.

The journey was rather long. Infinite hadn't expected the field to be so expansive, but it was. Hauling her back was going to be quite the endeavor, but that was just going to be a bridge he'd have to cross later.

Infinite eventually came up to the end of the field, and it was breath taking. The field gave away to a relatively clean and white beach. Waves crashed along the shore, pushing all sorts of multi-colored shells onto the wet sand until the next wave came to pull them back into the water. The air was warm and it smelled rather salty. It was peaceful here as well.

The jackal then turned his attention to the little white house on the edge of the field. This was the house described in his mission, but from a distance it looked… abandoned.

Infinite stepped closer, examining the exterior of the home. The windows were filthy and even cracked. The lights inside were off, and when he peered in, it looked raided. Furniture was slanted, the living room lacked any sort of decor, and there was just garbage everywhere. Shadow had to have played a trick on him, surely!

The front door was also unlocked, and it creaked as Infinite slowly slipped inside. The floorboards groaned with every step he took, showing off their age and dire need of replacement. This had to have been a joke.

Except it wasn't.

Infinite continued on through the house, more so exploring than hunting for his suspect. It was just so strange to see a beautiful home in such disarray. He had to be careful where he stepped, or else he'd end up tripping over whatever it was and alerting his criminal to his presence.

As he was just about to come up towards another room, he heard a low snarling sound. He held his breath, gripped the cuffs, and slowly stepped up to the doorway, whose door was conveniently wide open. He poked his head out from the side and spied her.

It was Susie, the little demon hedgehog he practically abused the last time they met. Though, she wasn't snarling. She was flopped over in bed, snoring away as she slept. Infinite took the chance to focus on the rest of the room, and it actually looked like it was somewhat lived in.

There were clothes strewn about the floor, different mismatched pairs of shoes, and even a vanity that was littered with photographs and other pieces of junk. The air in this room was musty and heavy, which was at ends with the fresh sea air outside.

Infinite had the opportunity to nab his criminal as soon as possible, and without much of a fight, but something deep within him kept him from getting too close to her. He looked over the room some more, trying to piece together just why a succubus like her was living in such a mess. One would expect at least a mess of underwear and bras and what not, but this was just a flurry of trash. He could even spot the arm sling she needed after their second meeting from across the room.

He stepped closer towards the vanity and examined himself in the mirror, brushing his hair back and behind his ears. From there he started to look at the photographs. The first one he laid his eyes on had a little black hedgehog standing out in front of a kindergarten. It struck him as odd that she would have a photo of a random young child, but upon further inspection he realized that this hedgehog had her same facial features. He turned to look at the blond, to which he started to doubt her fur color. Perhaps it was dyed? If that were the case, he should've seen dye bottles littering the premise, but he didn't.

The next photo was the same dark hedgehog, except sandwiched between two foxes; one was purple, the other was orange. Seems like these were friends of hers. The next photo above almost startled him. There she was finally the blond shade he was all too familiar with, yet there was no transition between the two colors. No streaks of blond, no awkward in-between shade, just stark blond. Of course, she was standing next to her two fox friends.

The picture after that one made him finally realize something. She was far more mature looking than the other two beside her. She was much larger and curvier than the other two that looked rather awkward beside her. Early bloomer, he thought.

The next couple were somewhat different. She was alone now and her poses seemed to lack any sort of energy. They were stilted, awkward, like the types of photos you were forced to take when it was your first day at school. All it really showed off were her clothes, nothing more. It wasn't until he saw the last one that her energy returned. She seemed to be lounging with the two foxes from the earlier photos, except they were much more different than he last saw them. They had grown up to be quite the mature looking women, in fact they were even larger than the demon he tangoed with. They wore rather elegant looking robes. Royalty, probably.

In that photo she seemed happy. Hell, she seemed ecstatic. She must've loved some form of company, because he had seen that same devilish glint in her eye back when they first met. It was strange, but he was starting to feel a growing urge to know more. This girl was mysterious, and some things just didn't connect. Once he was done looking at the photo, he noticed a bit of wall next to the vanity was scuffed up.

Though, it wasn't just some type of damage caused by furniture. Those were claw marks.

He blinked and started to survey the rest of the room, and found claw marks of varying sizes and depth that scarred the room itself. He could only wonder how many more scratches he missed on his way through the house.

His eyes eventually landed on the sleeping dragon of this cave, and he noticed that her bed was indented to hell and back. It was as if she was sleeping in a crater than a proper bed. It must've not been changed out in a while for it to have gotten that bad. One would think a villain like her would have some sort of decent lifestyle, but it seemed like all she had was the facade of a house. Nothing more, nothing less. Not even a penny to her name.

Just then, she began to slowly rouse. Low gurgles left her throat as her legs stretched out. Infinite started to panic- he didn't know what to do! He glanced side to side, trying to come up with an idea, then it hit him. He was supposed to arrest her, after all. He scrambled towards the door and made sure to slam it shut. That definitely woke her up.

Susie sat up abruptly and looked over at the door, where Infinite was standing. He slowly turned his head to make eye contact with the blond, and her blood ran cold. She dug her heels into the bed as Infinite turned to face her. He could still smell her fear, and he was more than happy to know that she was afraid of him.

"Susie?" He inquired. He got no response. "You're under arrest." He gave the handcuffs and strap a wave, and that sent her into a panic. She tossed herself off of the bed, spread out her wings, and backed herself up into a corner of the room.

"I-I'm not going down without a fight!" She screeched, arms outstretched as she waited for his next move.

"A fight you'll surely lose." He snarled back as he stepped closer.

Susie pressed herself up against the wall further, cocked her head up, and quickly spat at Infinite from across the room. The glob of spit hit Infinite square in the face, and he stood there, stunned. Of course a succubus could do that, of course!

By the time he wiped the sweet smelling spit from his face, Susie had one of her gloves off and was biting at her hand. Infinite went wide eyed as he spotted blood trickling down her hand, and he waved his hands.

"What are you doing?! That's not… healthy." He paused, just watching as she trembled in place.

"I-I'm getting my mommy to deal with you!" She shouted with bloody lips.

She was downright delusional!

"You're not used to feeling fear, are you?" Infinite lowered his arms as the girl shuddered in place. He set his equipment down onto the floor, then slowly eased closer. She pressed herself back into the corner, so much so that her wings started to bend forward. Infinite stopped at the bed, and sat down at the edge of it. Time to pretend to be a therapist.

"You're used to being a cocky little brat, yet when faced with something you're scared of, you cower like a toddler." He scoffed. "Really? Calling _mommy_? You even resort to harming yourself out of pure fear. How old are you even?"

Susie just stood there, refusing to reply. Infinite sighed and hung his head.

"I looked at the photos on your vanity. Something tells me you're younger than your body leads on." He side eyed her.

"I'm not. I'm… old." She mumbled.

"How many years."

"I don't want to say."

"Do you truly not want to say, or do you just not know?"

"I don't want to say!" She snapped.

Infinite paused. Guess he wasn't going to get a number out of her, so it was time to ask about the fur.

"Do you dye your fur, or is it natural?"

"Natural."

"Lies." He spat. "Your vanity says otherwise. How does one go from a pitch black hedgehog to blond in the matter of a few photos?"

"I chose to be blond!"

"So you dyed your fur!"

"I didn't! It's all natural!" She wailed out. Infinite let out a frustrated breath.

"So it's a demonic fur color change, I'm assuming."

"Yes!" She howled. Infinite just glared stubbornly, not willing to accept the news Susie was dishing out. He then glanced down at her legs. Those alone would take quite a few bottles to dye, and while he was working with Shadow he hadn't heard of any hair salons being raided for yellow dye. He shook his head and waved the question away.

"Fine. I have one last question. Why do you live in such a rats nest? Surely it's not that hard to keep clean."

Susie looked down at the floor, scanning the different bits of trash and what not. "It is clean." She mumbled

"Clean?! I can barely even see the floorboards in here! Your bed's atrocious to look at and the rest of the house is filthy! You aren't even getting half of the sunlight that's outside even with your blinds opened!"

Susie just stood there, eyes still focused on the floor. Infinite sighed as he placed a hand against his cheek. He was truly dealing with a child, this was nothing like the manipulative little whore he faced off against the last few times.

"How's your hand." He ventured to ask, finally trying to reach through to her. Asking her questions and prodding for answers wasn't getting him anywhere, so he might as well just focus on the now.

Susie looked down at her hand. The blood had stopped flowing and it started to dry against her skin. Quite a bit of it had dripped down onto her boot and the pile of torn clothes she was standing on. She clenched her fist and glowered at Infinite.

"Get out! I don't want you here!" She bellowed, baring her sharp teeth at him. She was aggressive now, and it showed by the panic in her voice despite the screaming. "You're not welcomed here! Leave!"

Infinite didn't budge, instead he slouched and pressed his arms to his knees. "Are you mentally sound?"

Susie widened her eyes and stared down at him. "Yes." She retorted.

Infinite sucked in a breath through his teeth and turned his head away. "You don't have to be like this. I'm willing to help you with whatever you're dealing with."

Tears began to outright stream down Susie's face without a warning. Infinite didn't even notice any budding tears before she started to outright wail.

"I don't want your help, I want you to leave! Just leave me alone!" She shrieked. Infinite stood from the bed and stepped forward.

"Does anyone else know you even live here? Do you even get visitors?" He leaned in close to whisper "Is mommy even real?"

That finally made the young succubus snap. She lunged forward, teeth bared and snapping to try and take a bite out of the jackal. Infinite staggered back and the clothes under his foot slipped out from under him. He crashed against the side of the mattress with a yelp. Things were quickly going from bad to worse, and tried to scramble to his feet. Though, it was too late.

Susie descended upon the jackal, forcing his head against the mattress as her teeth clacked shut again. There was force behind those missed bites, and he was definitely going to get hurt if he didn't push her off. He pressed his palms frantically against her chest, but all that earned him was a rather cruel kick to the stomach.

A pained wheeze left his chest, but his head was forced back and his jaw pried open with her bloodied hand. She wasted no time, and in a single swoop, she spat into Infinite's mouth and slammed his jaw shut.

Infinite was stunned, even as Susie wrapped an arm around his head to keep him from opening his mouth. This little brat managed to lob some spit down to the back of his throat. This was what she was trying to do earlier. It was disgusting and it pissed him off to no end.

The jackal kicked and squirmed and grunted, his own hands digging into Susie's arm to try and pull it away from his head. Susie only held on tighter and stepped around the pup to keep from getting her legs bruised.

"Swallow you runt!" She ordered, holding his head up within her arms. When Infinite let out a grunt of disapproval, Susie used her other hand to give his back quite the smack, triggering an immediate swallow from the jackal.

She released his head, letting him sprawl out as he held his throat within his hand. His eyes widened as he looked up at the blond.

"It was all a facade, wasn't it?" He snarled. Susie just stared down at him, a look of pure rage plastered all over her face. Infinite bared his own fangs and scrambled to stand.

"You whore!" He shouted as he stood up on his own two feet, but he found himself staggering once he took a step. A wave of familiar fatigue washed over him, and he stood there. He had been duped yet again, but this time was worse. He was in _her_ domain now.

Susie reeled back a fist and swung at his jaw, sending the jackal sprawling backwards and onto the floor, dizzy. She then flopped onto him and straddled his body, where she wrapped both hands around his throat and proceeded to throttle him.

"I should kill you where you lay!" She snapped. Seems like she took some notes from their first meeting. Infinite struggled as his hands weakly grasped at her wrists. His heels dug into the floor, and his eyes even watered from a lack of air. He didn't want to die like this. He didn't want to die to the hands of a whore. It made his heart ache at the idea, but there was little he could do.

Air started to slip out of his chest with each shake Susie gave him, and his consciousness was quickly slipping away from him.

Then everything went dark. Infinite had passed out from a lack of air.

When Infinite awoke, he found himself in a field. He groaned and tried to touch his throat, but found his arm stuck. He blinked and looked down at his hand, and found it handcuffed to his ankle. He tutted softly and used his other hand to rub at his pained throat.

Guess she did throttle him, but thank goodness he was alive.

"Infinite? Infinite, is that you?!" He heard a familiar voice cry out. He blinked and turned his head to see Shadow skating towards him. He skid to a stop and loomed over the jackal.

"Am I glad to see you." Infinite rasped out, chuckling grimly as he waved towards his captured hand. "A little help please?"

Shadow knelt down beside him and plucked a quill from his head. He used that to unlock the handcuffs, and Infinite flopped back with a groan.

"What on Earth happened over there? You look like you just fought a bear!" Shadow called out. Infinite didn't realize it, but when he placed a hand to his face, he felt all sorts of bruises and marks. He even grazed a particularly deep scratch on the bridge of his nose. He hissed out in pain and sat back up, looking over the scene. Seems he was dropped right by the graves of his fallen comrades. An ominous threat from a demon.

"Susie is much stronger than she looks. Bigger too." He hissed out, looking up at Shadow through a black eye. "She's a spitter too. Spat in my mouth and everything went fuzzy after that."

"Disgusting." Shadow snarled. Infinite nodded. Shadow then reached down to tilt his head up. "Is that your blood I see?"

Infinite paused, then shook his head. He brought a hand up to his throat and thought.

"Not mine, it's Susie's. She bit herself when she first saw me. Something about calling 'mommy'. Has she ever done that around you?" Infinite started to try and stand. Shadow leaned down and wrapped an arm around his waist to try and help him up.

"Can't say she has yet. Though I have had a run in with her supposed mother." Infinite froze after hearing those words.

"She roams around these parts?"

"Sometimes, when it's late at night. She visits her daughter during those hours and wanders around cities in search of some poor soul that's awake around the time she's wandering. From there she flirts, gets her fill, and leaves."

"She's preyed on you before?" Infinite's eyes, despite one being bruised and one being blind, seemed to light up. This was an interesting can of worms.

"Not preyed, more so conversed. She enjoys asking questions about me. I have a feeling she's interested in me." Shadow turned to look out at the city, and he started to lead Infinite back.

"Well, glad to know my mentor's flirting with hellish abominations." Infinite jabbed. Shadow snorted and gave him a rough pat on the back.

"Don't get any bright ideas on trying to confront the mother. I don't want you getting trounced at night when I'm not around."

"I won't, I won't. Cross my heart."

"Let's get you stitched up and rested. We'll try another mission that _doesn't_ involve blood thirsty demons."

"Good idea."


End file.
